DIETITIAN

SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS

READERS CAN SEND THEIR QUERIES THROUGH E-MAIL AT dietitianakshita@gmail.com.
Dt. Akshita Aggarwal will reply these queries in forth coming articles. This facility is free of cost -issued in public interest.

GET HEALTHY NOW, ASK ME HOW – I – By Dt. Akshita Aggarwal

First of all ,I like to wish all my readers a very happy ,safe and colourful holi. Encouraged by the warm response to all my previous series i.e. “ THE FACT FILES”, “ SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS” & “ WONDER FOODS” I am starting this new series of questions & answers called as “GET HEALTHY NOW ASK ME HOW”

Q1. Is soya bean is good for weight loss? JAYA

Ans:- Soya bean is classified as an oil seed .It is the only legume having 20% of fat hence it is a high calorie food. Therefore anybody aiming for weight loss must not consume too much of soya.

Q2 . Is Glucon D fattening? MUKUL

Ans: Glucon D is nothing but glucose powder. Glucose is the simplest sugar which does not need any digestion it is absorbed directly by the body therefore for people with sedentary life style these calories are too quick to be exhausted and hence is stored as fat in the body which causes weight gain.

Q3.Everyone says that bananas are protein and calcium rich but they are also calorie rich , What is the way out to consume bananas without increasing weight ? SUPRIYA

Ans:- Bananas are moderate sources of calcium and protein but excellent source of vitamin B 6 and soluble fibers. The glycemic index of ripe banana is high and hence causes weight gain but the glycemic index of raw banana or green banana known as plantains is low therefore it can be safely consumed without any weight gain.

Q.4 .What is protein quality? SHRADHA

Ans:- The protein quality refers to the ability of a protein to get assimilated easily within the body. The higher protein quality, the better will be its absorption. Protein quality becomes important when only limited amount of protein can be given to an individual like in kidney disorder. Animal protein has better quality than plant protein.

GET HEALTHY NOW, ASK ME HOW – II – By Dt. Akshita Aggarwal

A warm hello to all my readers. First of all ,I would like to apologize to all those callers whose calls we were not able to answer. Readers are requested to leave their queries either via mail or sms with their name in such case . For reading my earlier series you may log on to www.dietitianakshita.com now I am presenting second chapter of “GET HEALTHY NOW ASK ME HOW”

Q1. Does lemon, honey and warm water taken empty stomach induces weight loss? (QUESTION REPEATED ON PUBLIC DEMAND)

Ans:- This combination is very lethal for bone health. The weight loss that is seen on the weighing machine after consuming this combination is not fat loss but calcium loss from the bones. Prolonged use of this combination is associated with multiple fractures. A local study conducted at our clinic showed that there was a high prevalence of knee joint pain, arthritis, osteoporosis and other bone related problems in people consuming this combination. The ceasation of this showed a positive relation in improving their bone related symptoms.

Q2 . I take apple cider + vinegar early morning for weight loss is it healthy? KUNJAL

Ans: Since this combination is acidic in nature it is not recommended for anybody with digestion problem or acidity. I have not seen any positive relationship between this combination and weight loss although few people have reported increased hair loss induced by this combination.

Q3. Water melon is known to have a high glycemic index , I am a sugar patient so should I avoid it ? PREETI

Ans:- Water melon has high glycemic index but low glycemic load which means the amount of carbohydrate per 100gms of water melon is low. Thus it is safe for diabetic or weight loss aspirants to consume water melon in the cut form. Slush or juice although is prohibited.

GET HEALTHY NOW, ASK ME HOW – IV – By Dt. Akshita Aggarwal

Warm greetings to all my readers. I would like to extend my apologies for not being able to write from last two weeks. I received so many calls regarding the same. I thank all my readers for their constant support and love. It really motivates me. Here I am presenting fourth chapter of “GET HEALTHY NOW ASK ME HOW”

Q1. Hi Doctor, in your last article you wrote about honey, lemon and warm water combination. Well , I take lemon, honey in green tea is that also harmful? TARUN

Ans:- Hi Tarun , yes since green tea will also act like warm water even this combination will harm you. Take your green tea just with lemon or just with honey.

Q2. Is sooji fattening? DEEPAK

Ans: Well Deepak , I am glad you asked this question. No, Sooji has more fibre than maida and less fibre than wheat . But calorie count is almost same. So if sooji is consumed in the right manner it will not lead to weight gain.

Q3. Is chach more fattening than curd? JAYA

Ans:- If you do not add additional malai or milk cream to it like we add in lassi it has almost equal calories than plain curd.

Q4. I am not able to digest milk at night , can you suggest a remedy? RITU

Ans:- Ritu , add 50 % water to your milk and then take it. This should resolve your problem.

Q5. I have gas forming tendency , I read it somewhere that I should avoid straws for any drink. I am still wondering why? Does it have a scientific base? TARAN

Ans:- Yes , Taran. When we drink a beverage through a straw we tend to suck in air . This air moves around in our stomach as gas. So, the people with gas tendency feel more bloated and hence uncomfortable. Therefore it is recommended that beverages must be consumed directly from the container.

Q6. Is no cholesterol butter better than normal butter? RAM UBHAN

Ans:- Thank you Ram for asking this question. Well butter is made from milk and is an animal fat thus is cholesterol rich. When butter is made from vegetable oil only then it can be cholesterol free. For converting vegetable oil in butter it has to be solidified or hydrogenated which leads to production of trans fats. Trans fats are all the more harmful for our heart. Hence it is recommended that in case you want to consume butter take the natural butter in restricted quantity.

GET HEALTHY NOW, ASK ME HOW – V – By Dt. Akshita Aggarwal

Happy summers to all my readers. Today we have dedicated this chapter of our series to queries related to summer. Hope these answers help you cope up with this heat better.

Q1. Hi Doctor, I am a house wife and a mother of two children. My son is very fond of cold drinks and often ask for cold drink when he returns from school but giving cold drink every day somehow does not feel right for his health ,I tried to give rasna, nimbu pani, roohafza but he does not like them please suggest a healthy substitute? kulpreet

Ans:- Hi kulpreet, It is the fizz to which the children are attracted therefore a healthier substitute can be a chilled lemonade made in plain soda. Even diabetic people or people on weight reduction diet can enjoy this low calorie beverage as salty lemonade.

Q2. What is the effect of bel/bael sharbat on health? Brijpal

Ans: Well Brijpal , this sharbat is very effective in fighting heat. Also it is very good for digestion problem specially constipation. It is a good option as a summer cooler for children but since this is a high calorie beverage people with diabetes or on weight loss diet are not suggested its consumption.

Q3. I am on a weight loss diet and I am supposed to consume soups for that but as you know summers have approached I find it difficult to have hot soups. Please tell me a way out? krishana

Ans:- Hi ,Krishana. Since you are supposed to take a lot of soups in your diet you can replace hot soups with cold soups recipes are available on internet or you can ask your dietitian to give you the same. As an example I am providing one of the recipes which I suggest to my patients.

Method:-Blend the cucumber and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper and water. Put in a bowl and stir in curd.

GET HEALTHY NOW, ASK ME HOW – VI – By Dt. Akshita Aggarwal

This chapter of our series is also dedicated to queries related to summer. Hope these answers help you cope up with this heat better.

Q1. Hi , I am on a weight loss diet and therefore no fruit juices are allowed for me can you suggest some low calorie juice? Sushma

Ans:- Hi, Sushma. You can take tomato juice as it is low calorie and can be enjoyed with little lemon juice and Tabasco sauce as virgin mary mocktail.

Q2. In summers my digestion of milk becomes week can you suggest a solution? Anju

Ans: Well Anju ,Kindly consume milk with elaichi since elaichi is digestive it will help you digest the milk faster.

Q3. Hi, Akshita. My BP is normal through out the year except the summer months my BP generally becomes low in summers. My job profile involves lot of field work therefore low BP becomes my constant worry as I am afraid that I might faint while travelling the cause is unknown can you explain this tendency of my body? Harleen

Ans:- Hi ,Harleen. After reading your description I can only narrow down my conclusion to one thing that since you are travelling a lot and you are in the field all the time you must be sweating a lot .Our sweat also eliminates sodium from our body which must have been the reason for your low BP during summers.it can be easily corrected by including 2 to 3 salty lemonades in a day.

Q4. I am on a weight loss diet can I consume zucchini ? Sunita

Ans:- Yes, zucchini can be safely consumed in a weight loss diet as it is a low calorie vegetable it can be used in a various form just like cucumber it has good moisture content hence very good for summers.

Hello readers, thank you for the profound response. I am including those questions which were common and asked by more than 2-3 people. I shall include single questions in my next chapter.

Q1. Hi Akshita, I am experiencing a lot of muscular pain from certain days. I am not even exercising so I cant understand why is this pain occurring. Is there a remedy through diet? please suggest anything vegetarian as I m a strict vegetarian. NUPUR & Mrs. Arora

Ans:-Hi , this muscular pain may be a result of vitamin B-12 deficiency. Kindly get yourself tested for the same. Vitamin B-12 deficiency is very common among vegetarians and is also found to be common after a prolonged antibiotic treatment. Remedy can be consumption of milk and milk products. But for immediate relief kindly take short term supplement for the same.

Ans: “Sugar free” is basically complex carbohydrates. Example saccharin it is a complex carbohydrate that is why it tastes sweet but since humans don’t have enzyme to digest it , no calories are liberated by its consumption. It is passed out as such from our body .As far as safe consumption is concerned each sugar free product present in market uses different complex carbohydrate so safety limits differs from product to product. You can ask your doctor / chemist for any particular product’s safety limits.

Q3. Hi , I was reading your profile on your website and it said that you are a clinical dietitian / nutritionist . Can you tell me how is that different from a dietitian? SEEMA, REKHA & SONU

Ans:- Hi , A clinical dietitian is the one who can deal with all kinds of lifestyle disorders and has complete medical know how about the same. She can treat / manage all diseases using therapeutic diet plans. Complex diets like kidney disorders, cardiac conditions, liver disorders , food allergies , gastro malfunctioning can be handled by her. A dietitian on the other hand may just be trained to bring about weight loss/ weight gain .

GET HEALTHY NOW, ASK ME HOW – VIII – By Dt. Akshita Aggarwal

A very warm hello to all my readers. I here by present the 8th chapter of my series.

Q1. I am a Cardiac patient, my LVEF is around 30% I have been advised to reduce my water intake to 1.25 liter . Can u explain why? ABHINAV

Ans:-Hi , The LVEF percentage pertains to the pumping capacity of the heart .Minimum 55% is considered to be normal. Since the pumping capacity of your heart has reduced to 30% intake of fluid more than 1.25 liter will lead to increase in the volume of the blood hence it will exert more pressure on your heart. This may lead to chest pain.

Q2.Does diet cold drinks have any side effect? PURNIMA

Ans: Hi, as I described in my last chapter as well, sugar free products are not digested in our body. Therefore too much consumption may have adverse effects on our body. The most common side effects that I have observed in my patients is hair loss. Excess amount of “ASPARTAMATE” a common artificial sweet is associated with hair loss. Therefore it is advice to consume these products in moderation.

Q3. Hi , I had recently joined a weight loss programme I was associated with them for two months I lost around 8 kg. But I regained that weight within 5 week’s time . They used to give me a special drink made from methi dana and few more condiments every time I restart that drink I start losing weight. Can you tell me is this drink a fat cutter? Anonymous

Ans:- hello, Well whenever you lose weight more than 5 kg and regain it very fast you should know that you lost water weight and not fat. Fat loss is comparatively permanent. There are many ways of dehydration. Dehydration is perceived as weight loss but is actually a very temporary condition. As far as this combination is concerned since I don’t have full ingredients it is difficult to comment. But weight loss through dehydration will always induce weakness, dryness of skin , hair loss , lethargy , sagging of skin, decreased concentration , headache ,low blood pressure etc. you may relate if you had any of the above you were dehydrated.

Q4:- Are brown rice ok to consume for weight loss? Nitu

Ans:- Yes, brown rice have more fibre than white rice. You should prefer roti but in case you want to have rice prefer brown rice.

GET HEALTHY NOW, ASK ME HOW – IX – By Dt. Akshita Aggarwal

A very warm hello to all my readers. I here by present the 9th chapter of my series.

Q1. Is bran useful for weight loss? AKRITI

Ans:- Hi akriti, bran is insoluble fiber and hence has the tendency to adsorb important minerals like iron, calcium, zinc etc. on its surface. It removes them from the body as it passes out in the stool. Prolonged use of bran may lead to deficiency of these minerals. osteoporosis , anaemia , calcium defiency , low concentration power, memory weakness are its common symptoms. I do not advice its use.

Q2. I am a diabetic patient , I have almost eliminated carbohydrates from my diet to maintain my sugar , but I feel weakness at times . kindly suggest a remedy. MR . BHATT

Ans: Warm greetings Mr. Bhatt, first of all I would like to clarify that even for a diabetic 55%- 65% of carbohydrate diet is recommended. If you reduce your carbohydrates to very low levels it may lead to hypoglycemia which induces weakness. I would suggest you to undertake 60% carbohydrate diet but carbohydrates should be complex. Then your sugar will not be elevated.

Q3. Hi , I am taking a weight reduction diet, I am taking mostly proteins in my diet and very less carbohydrate. Inspite of taking so much protein I’m experiencing hair loss. Can you elaborate why? Tina

Ans:-Hi Tina, a carbohydrate deficient , protein rich diet is dehydrating. Since you are taking such type of diet your body water balance has got affected. Our hair is 80-90% water. Dehydration leads to hair loss. This kind of diet is not advised. The weight loss achieved with such diets is anyways water loss and not fat loss so I would recommend you to undertake a more balanced diet specially in terms of carbohydrates.

Q4:- Hi, I am 35 year old working male , I recently got my lipid profile done everything was normal except triglycerides . I don’t have any family history of this, I don’t want to start medicine please suggest can diet reduce triglycerides? ANUP

Ans:- Hi Anup, triglycerides can be reduced by proper diet. Medication is not required if the levels are only slightly elevated. I will be able comment better after looking at the reports. To start with a general tip that can help you in reducing triglycerides is that you increase the frequency of meals. Long gaps in meals will increase triglycerides so have small and frequent meals.

GET HEALTHY NOW, ASK ME HOW – X – By Dt. Akshita Aggarwal

Warm greetings to all my readers. We have reached to the final chapter of our series. A new series will be presented from next week. Hope to receive your constant support.

Q1. Hi Akshita, most of your questions relate to weight loss. I just wanted to know if you help in increasing weight as well ? PRAMOD

Ans:- Yes Pramod, I do help in weight gain as well. The focus is on protein mass gain whereas fat gain is kept as less as possible.

Q2. Hello, I am Akhilesh, I have a touring job. I often have to fly a lot and after every flight there is sudden weakness. I am unable to understand. My hemoglobin and blood pressure both are normal. kindly help ? AKHILESH

Ans:- Hi Akhilesh, the reason of your weakness is dehydration. In a 2hour flight we loose somewhere around 1 liter of water from our body. Try increasing water intake, this will help.

Q3. Hi , I have often observed that most of your suggestions lay emphasis on hydration. I drink around 1-1.5 liter water everyday but I also consume around 4-5 cups of green tea .Its my water intake optimum or do I need to improve? LUCKY

Ans:-First of all I would like to tell you the recommendation per day . It is 3liter of water . The tea/coffee/cold drinks don’t get counted in water category. In fact they are dehydration so, if you are consuming 4-5 cups green tea increase your water intake to at least 3-3.5 liter per day.

Q4:- What is PCOD, I read it in one of your articles that it leads to sudden weight gain please explain? SEEMA

Ans:-PCOD stand for POLY CYSTIC OVARIAN DISORDER . A cyst is observed in the ovaries which leads to periods irregularity and other hormonal changes. The most obvious change is weight gain. But the good part about this is that it is totally reversible by weight loss.

SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS -BY Dt. AKSHITA AGGARWAL

Hello readers after the success of THE FACT FILE SERIES , I feel happy to announce my next series, SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS.I will hereby answer and clarify day to day food fads and will state the actual facts behind them.

Q1: I have heard that palak paneer is not healthy. Is it True? ASHIMA PATEL

Ans: Yes , Ashima this is true that palak paneer is not as nutritious a combination as we think. Palak has oxalates which is an inhibitor for calcium as well as iron absorption so this combination actually wastes the calcium present in paneer. So, its better to prepare palak without calcium rich source.

Q2: Is juice fattening? RADHIKA GARG

Ans:- Well Radhika juice is not exactly fattening but may lead to weight gain due to the instant calories that it provides. Juices are devoid of fibre and hence they devote instant calories which if not burned convert into fat or adipose tissue.

Ans: No , Arya this combination must be stopped immediately . This remedy is a very old one for weight loss but what we do not know is that this combination has been observed to leach out calcium from our bones. This causes slow and gradual thinning and weakening of our bones.

Q4: I am a diabetic , can I have carrots? RAGHU ARORA

Ans: Yes , Raghu you can eat carrots as salad and cooked vegetable but you have to make sure you cut or slice carrot and not grate it. Carrot juice or soup although are not recommended for you as they will increase your sugar levels.

Q5. I use olive oil for cooking , which other oil do you recommend for heart patients?

ASHIMA GOEL

Ans: Ashima you can use any cooking oil for cooking the meals of a heart patient. But you must keep rotating oil on monthly basis so that the oils cam mutually supplement each other .

PUBLISHED IN HELLO EAST UPDATE

SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS(II)-BY Dt. AKSHITA AGGARWAL

First of all I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all my lovely readers for receiving my new series with so much warmth. I was amazed by the response and number of calls and sms. So , here under I present the second part of my SYSF series. I have also tried to accommodate questions from last week’s queries.

Ans: Taruna I would like to tell you that our eye sight becomes weak when our ciliary muscles or eye’s muscles get weak . When these muscles get weak then our near point or far point is affected. Since it is not of nutritional origin, no matter how much vitamin A you stuff in , it wont help in improving eye sight. Eye exercises are more effective.

Q2: Is ghee more fattening than oil? ANUJ CHAUDHARY

Ans:- Well Anuj , no. Ghee and oil are both fats. They contribute same calories to our body i.e. 9 Kcal / g of fat. So if consumed in equal amounts they will contribute same calories.

Q3: I am consuming bran as I read somewhere that high fibre helps in weight loss. Is it healthy? R. PRIYA

Ans: No , Priya this unfortunately is misinterpreted. Fibre is a very important nutrient in our diet and yes it helps in weight loss. But, only soluble fibre has more beneficial effects on our body than harmful. Bran , however is insoluble fibre. Prolonged use of bran may cause considerable amount of calcium and iron loss from body.

Q4: Last time you mentioned that diabetic can’t have grated carrot but if someone has denture problem what should he do ? CALLER FROM ANAND VIHAR

Ans: Well , since carrots have high glycemic index when you grate them then the juice oozes out which will act just like carrot juice. So, for people with denture problem carrot can be steamed or pressure cooked in minimum water.

Q5. I am a diabetic can I have gur /jaggery? PREM YADAV

Ans: No, gur also has same raw material as sugar i.e. sugar cane juice only the process is different. So, gur is equally harmful for you as is sugar.

PUBLISHED IN HELLO EAST UPDATE

SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS(III)-BY Dt.AKSHITA AGGARWAL

I am very thankful to my readers for showing so keen interest in my new series.I would also like to apologies to those reader’s whose query I could not adjust this time. So , here under I present the third part of my SYSF series.

Q1: Hi, Akshita mam , I am 22 year old female and I have a strong affinity towards chalk and mud .Earlier I thought it will go away with age but now it has become embarrassing. I have been taking supplement from past 8 months now but I see no reduction in my urges. Is this problem uncurable? PIYA

Ans: Hi, Piya first of all I would appreciate your question as a number of females are facing this problem. Well , this is completely curable , but you are undertaking wrong treatment. This condition is called PICA. This is a symptom of iron deficiency and not calcium deficiency. So, get your hemoglobin checked and take iron supplement along with iron rich diet I am sure this will resolve.

Q2: How harmful is carbonated drinks? K.DEVA

Ans:- Well, Deva carbonated drinks as the name suggests contain carbonate which has a strong affinity or attraction to calcium. So, excess carbonated drinks have negative effect on bone health.

Q3: I want to ask that is this true that water should not be consumed after meals?

RAVISH RANA

Ans: Ravish when we drink water immediately after meals it dilutes our digestive juices and hence retards our digestion .This may lead to gas and bloating. Water is suggested to be consumed in sips.

Q4: Is soya milk better than dairy milk? RAJ NATH

Ans: Well , that will be decided by the person for whom you are looking. For anyone seeking weight loss it is not useful but for lactose intolerants(those who can’t digest milk) this is a good source of protein.

I would like to wish all my readers a very happy , healthy and prosperous diwali. I have been getting a lot of queries on my phone and mail. I have tried to combine similar questions. Apologies for all those queries which could not be adjusted this week.

Ans:- For you Radha , buffalo’s milk is better. Cow’s milk may have less fat but the nature of that is rich in bad cholesterol . Buffalo milk should be used by removing cream once.

Q2: Hello mam i give my son packed cut fruits but due to browning he brings them back and he won’t eat whole fruit.What should I do? RUCHI

Ans:- Dear Ruchi , Browing of the fruits is due to its expose to oxygen. Whenever you want to give apple or pear in cut form just rub lemon on the surface that will not let the fruits become brown.

Q3:- Hi, I have a very bad gas problem. I only take 1 chappati and dal at night but still lot of gas is formed. Please suggest some remedy. ARPITA

Ans:- Arpita , dals are tough protein and difficult to digest at night. Try taking dal in afternoon and any vegetable in dinner. Your problem will resolve.

Q4:- Hello mam I am 15 year old and I am on weight reduction diet from 6 month but I am facing irregular periods I am scared that some major problem has occurred should I go to a gynecologist? TAASHA

Ans:- Dear Taasha , If you are on weight reduction diet then I am sure you must be consuming to low fat or may be zero fat diet. Please start some amount of fat i.e 10-15 g of visible everyday . Zero fat diet interferes with your menstrual cycle. If this doesn’t help get yourself checked for PCOD.

You can catch Dt. Akshita on Radio mirchi 98.3 Fm for “TIPS FOR MANAGING BLOOG SUGAR LEVELS” on 14th November (World Diabetes Day)PUBLISHED IN HELLO EAST UPDATE

SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS (V)-BY Dt. AKSHITA AGGARWAL

Warm hello to all my readers thank you for your feedback about my series. I am glad that people are benefitting from my column .

Q1: Is it true that the diet which will suit our body depends on our blood group? ROMA

Ans:- Well , Roma I personally do not think so. Till date I have not found any strong study to explain this theory.

Q2: Hello mam, I am gyming from over an year now . I have lost inches but no significant loss in weight. Can you suggest why? KRUTI

Ans:- Hi , Kruti . Our body weight is comprised of a lot of components like water , muscle mass , fat mass , bone weight etc. When we exercise we tend to lose adipose tissue that explains your inch loss but since exercising also increases your muscle mass so your weight might stay constant. It is the nature of the weight that is changing.

Q3:- I am suffering from hypothyroid and I have gained a lot of weight due to the same. Someone told me that I can’t lose weight easily I can only maintain it. Is it true? SHIKHA

Ans:- Hi Shikha, no its not true. Thyroid gland produces the harmone thyroxine which is responsible for metabolic rate. In hypo thyroidism or less secretion of this hormone metabolic rate becomes slower and hence it leads to weight gain. With proper exercise and proper diet even a hypothyroid person can lose weight at almost same pace as a non hypothyroid person.

Q4:- Hi I am having an arthiritic knee therefore my physical activity is zero. This has lead to a lot of weight gain which inturn is putting pressure on my knee and increasing the pain. Can diet only induce weight loss? SUMAN

Ans:- Dear Suman , yes you can lose weight based on proper diet even if your physical activity is zero. But the diet has to be balanced and must not be in form of crash diets or starvation plans. Weigh should be lost with balanced nutrients.

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SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS (VI)-BY Dt. AKSHITA AGGARWAL

Happy winters to all my readers. I am highly obliged with the response of my last part of SYSF series which I tried to focus on obesity. I have created another page named QUERY COUNTER on my website (www.dietitianakshita.com) through which you can directly send in your queries. This service is free of cost.

Q1: Hello mam, is consumption of curd unhealthy at night? CHAVVI

Ans:- Well , Chavvi no . Consumption of curd is not harmful any time of the day. Some of the people believe it doesn’t get digested at night but it is purely a myth. Curd is already semi digested. Even lactose intolerant (those who cannot digest milk and milk products) people can digest curd. Curd should only be avoided if it doesn’t suit due to cold weather.

Q2: Can GERD or acid reflux disease be cured by diet? PRERNA

Ans:- Hi , Prerna . Yes GERD can be very well managed as well as controlled by proper diet. Acid reflux can be easily cured by balanced diet and proper meal pattern. I would like to take the liberty to mention here that according to my clinic’s data 100% of the cases successful recovered and got cured of GERD just through diet.

Q3:- Is putting lemon in green tea beneficial? ANIKA

Ans:- Hi Anika. Well yes .Tea has tannin in it which is an inhibitor for iron as well as calcium absorption. Lemon on the other hand has ascorbic acid or Vitamin C which is known to be enhancer in iron and calcium absorption. So who so ever consumes tea with their main meal will be able to minimize iron inhibition by putting lemon in it.

Q4:- My name is Charu , I am trying to lose weight . Can you tell me what is the maximum weight loss that can be achieved through balanced diet as my travelling doesn’t allow for fixed physical activity schedule? CHARU

Ans:- Dear Charu , It is a very good question but the answer to it will be very vague without figures. So , I would like to mention data based on my clinic results. Without physical activity , the best I have seen is 14 kg in 3 months and average 10 kg in 3 month.

PUBLISHED IN HELLO EAST UPDATE

SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS (VII)-BY Dt. AKSHITA AGGARWAL

Welcome all my readers here I present my 7th edition of SYSF series.

Q1: Does green tea has any benefits? RAMESH

Ans:- Yes, Ramesh green tea has a lot of benefits over the normal tea. Green tea has a rich amount of antioxidants which help in coping up with stress. People with arthritic pains or joint pains will also benefit from the same. Green tea also boots immunity and helps improve digestion. Prolonged use of green tea helps in weight reduction as well. An intake of minimum 2 cups a day is recommended.

Q2:Is it true that restricting salt after evening helps in weight loss? Do you recommend salt free diet for weight loss? ANANDI

Ans:- Anandi , restricting salt intake after evening or going on a salt free diet causes dehydration which is misinterpreted as weight loss. Our body has almost 60-65% of water mass if dehydration occurs it reflects in weight loss , but as soon as you hydrate this weight will come back. Salt has sodium in it which has a water holding capacity so if we reduce or restrict its intake water moves out of our body leaving us dehydrated so , this is strictly not recommended.

Q3:- Do mushrooms have any health benefit? PRACHI

Ans:- Mushrooms are indeed very healthy. Mushrooms are known to be the only vegetarian source of vitamin- D. They are very rich in dietary fibre and a number of minerals. They are also important source of zinc known to be helpful in brain development. They have very good water content and almost zero fat content and hence are good low calorie option.

Q4:-Hi Akshita , I am 38 years old male. I have sedentary lifestyle and I am a tea lover. I have a very high B.P problem. I have reduced my salt intake and somehow managed to control my stress levels but still I can’t control my B.P. Can you suggest some remedy. I don’t want to take medicines? RAJESH THAKUR

Ans:- Mr. Rajesh , the reason of your high B.P is your tea intake . Tea has tannin which is a stimulant . Any stimulant causes the constriction of our blood vessels leading to narrow path for blood to travel which increases its pressure. So, if you reduce your tea intake to may be 2-3 cups a day you will be able to manage your B.P.

PUBLISHED IN HELLO EAST UPDATE

SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS (VIII)- BY Dt. AKSHITA AGGARWAL

Wishing all my readers a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Apologies to those whose queries could not be answered in this edition. I have tried my best to accommodate most I could. So, here I present my 8th edition of SYSF series.

Q1: I have a habit of consuming a very heavy breakfast but I am trying to maintain my weight so should I quit this habit? BALVINDER RAHEJA

Ans:- Well , Balvinder it is a good practice to have heaviest meal as breakfast. Our metabolism is highest in the morning and lowest by dinner time so the heavy meal will be best assimilated at breakfast.

Q2:Hello mam , I am on a weight loss diet and I am asked to avoid carrot . I am told that it has high glycemic index so it will increase weight. But will the seasonal carrot also be harmful? SAUBHAGYA VERMA

Ans:- Hi Saubhagya , yes it is true that carrots have high glycemic index but it is only half side of story. Carrots also have a low glycemic load so as salads or vegetable preparation they do not increase weight.

Q3:- I want to know if wheat flakes with milk is more fattening than vegetable dalia , vegetable bread upma or vegetable poha for breakfast? AKTA

Ans:- No, green leavfy vegetables are rich sources of fibre , vitamins, minerals, water they are not at all fattening or calorie dense. Infact they help in lowering the glycemic index of any high glycemic index food like carrot.

PUBLISHED IN HELLO EAST UPDATE

SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS (IX) - BY Dt. AKSHITA AGGARWAL

Thank you all readers for the profound response to my series. We have approached the near end our series. So, here I present my 9th edition of the same which is the second last edition of this series. I will be starting a new series after my 10th edition hope to receive the same response as I have got for my previous 2 series .Thanks in advance.

Q1: Hello mam I am pregnant lady and as per doctors advice I have been asked to consume Iron rich foods .My mother in law believes that poha is iron rich, is it true? ARNIKA

Ans:- Well ,Arnika poha is not iron rich. Poha is flattened rice. Earlier this rice was flattened between iron rollers thus the iron content was found to be higher but these days steel rollers are used to do the same and thus poha is no more a significant source of iron.

Ans:- Hi Pranjal , No tomatoes are not fattening. Tomatoes are restricted in a diet only if there is a problem with kidney health.

Q3:- Hi Akshita, last time you said something about glycemic load of foods ,I wish to know the difference between glycemic load and glycemic index (G.I)? ANONYMOUS

Ans:- Hi dear, glycemic index is the capability of any food that how quickly it can raise the blood sugar level where as glycemic load is the amount of carbohydrate present in any 100gms of a food. Carbohydrate is responsible for increasing blood sugar so even if G.I of a food is high but its glycemic load is less, then one can easily consume such foods in moderate amounts.

Q4:- Does stress increase sugar levels? PRATIBHA

Ans: -When our body under goes a stressful condition then it produces more glucose or blood sugar to cope up with this condition. Also it reduces the insulin release in blood this causes a rise in blood sugar level as insulin is absent for glucose utilization. Thus, diabetic people may face a hike in their blood sugar levels during stressful times.

PUBLISHED IN HELLO EAST UPDATE

SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT FACTS (X) - BY Dt. AKSHITA AGGARWAL

Thank you all readers for the profound response to my series. Here I present my last edition of this series. I will be starting a new series “WONDER FOODS”. Hope to receive the same response as I have got for my previous 2 series .Thanks in advance.

Q1: Hello mam, is Multi grain atta useful for weight loss? Anu

Ans:- No Anu, multi grain atta & all multigrain food items are not recommended for those who are on a weight loss diet. Infact plain wheat flour is much more effective in initiating weight loss. Multi grain atta is a high carb, high protein, high fat and high fiber commodity which works well for people only willing to manage their blood parameters like sugar/cholesterol /b.p etc.

Q2:Hello mam, I have recently consulted a dietician who stated that since I am an AB positive blood group ,I have a problem of water retention. The terms sounds little scary please throw some light on the same? POOJA & ANU

Ans:- Hi pooja & Anu ,I am glad you asked this question . Water retention is a severe term and it denotes electrolyte imbalance. To put it in simple words, water retention means excess of electrolytes like sodium which holds water in the body. It is generally observed in patients having affected kidney health. As far as blood groups are concerned no particular blood group has been associated with high or low tendency of water retention.

Q3:- Can tea be consumed with almonds? ANONYMOUS

Ans:- Hi dear, Tea should never be consumed with or around tea. The minimum gap between consuming tea and almonds should be atleast one hour. The reason is the tannin content of the tea which retards the absorption of iron present in almonds.

Q4:-Are cornflakes healthy? AKHILESH

Ans: -Corn flakes is flattened corn which is simple carb or starch. It contains “Zein” Protein which a very low quality protein as it lacks the quality of supporting any growth or repair in our body. So, it is not very useful for people on weight reduction diet but can be consumed once or twice a week.